Causes
The actual cause of bladder cancer is unknown, but there are some proven risk factors. They include:
- smoking - smokers are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than non-smokers
- chemical exposure - certain chemicals, such as those used in the following professions, can become concentrated in the urine, creating a risk factor for cancer:
- hairdressers
- painters
- textile workers
- dye, leather, and rubber workers
- race - Caucasians have twice as high a risk of developing this cancer as people of African descent; Asians have the lowest risk
- gender - men have a two to three times higher risk than women of developing bladder cancer
- age - most cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in people over the age of 40 years
- previous use of certain chemotherapy medications, such as cyclophosphamide* (often used in breast cancer and lymphoma treatment), can significantly increase the risk of later developing bladder cancer
- previous radiation to the pelvic area
- family or personal history of bladder cancer